Game apparatus



{No Model.)

P. P. STIKER.

GAME APPARATUS.

Patented June 1, 1886.

6 www WAM Inventor.

Witnesses.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLAVIUS P. STIKER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,088, dated June 1,1886.

Application filed Jul)- 15, 1885. Serial No. 171,674. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, FLAvIUs l?. STIKER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and Siate of New York, haveinvented certain new'and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the usual hand deviceused by boys, having aseries of openings of different values, throughwhich marbles are shot. The size of the openings determines their value.A smaller opening being harder to hit is of course of more value; butdisputes often arise as to whether a marble has passed through aspecified opening.

The object of my invention is to obviate this objection by means thatwill be fully and clearly hereinafter shown, described, and claimed, byreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a frontelevation of the device complete; Fig. 2, a top view. Fig. 3ds a backview of an enlarged portion of the device. Fig. 4 is a section throughone of the openings, and an edge View of one of the sliding plates inposition; and Fig. 5 is a vertical section through one of the plates andone of the openings,`showingihe plate in its upward position.

A represents a strip of wood or other suitable material having a seriesof openings, a ce a2 as a4, through it. Each opening is provided with aslideway, a5, into which is fitted a sliding plate, c, having a rabbetcut in the edges, thereby forming the thin side strips or portions, c',adapted to iit in the slideways a5, so that it will slide easily up anddown. To the plate on each side of each opening is secured a hook, c2,or its equivalent, and to each plate is secured a hook, c, and aroundeach of the hooks is secured an elastic rubber cord, 0*, for the purposeof holding the doors or plates up, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 5. Toeach plate is secured a short projecting piece, c", adapted to catch onthe under part of the top of the opening and hold the plate down againstthe force of the spring. It will be noticed that the slides on each sideof the doors are made thinner or narrower than the grooves or slideway,so that the door has suflicient movement back and forth to allow thecatch c5 to move over far enough to catch and hold the plate down,yor toallow the plate to move back far enough to disengage it and permit thedoor to spring up.

The operation of the invention is as follows: All of the plates or doorsbeing fastened down, as above mentioned, a ball or marble being thrownor shot toward the device will strike either the side of the apparatusor pass into one of the openings and against one of the plates or doors,and by forcing it backward will disengage the catch and allow it tospring up, thereby indicating plainly through which opening the ball haspassed. Over each openin are numbers e', e2 es. e* and e runnin from oneupward, for indicating the number of points in a game, so that a ballpassing through an opening will indicate the number of points markedabove it. For instance, if it passed through the opening marked fl itwill indicate four points, so that each openingvis of adiiferent value.

In describing the springs for raising the plates or doors I havel shownan elastic rubber cord; but any other well-known spring adapted for thepurpose may be used, and the position of the catch may be also varied,the portion upon which it catches being made also to correspond. with itwithout changing the nature of the invention.

The device is provided with a handle, as

shown, so as to adapt it to beheld in the hand by one person while beingshot at by another.

I am aware that a bar having a series of notches all of one size, aseries of spring tablets or doors having a number on the doors, which isonly exposed to view when the door is opened by the impact of a marble,has heretofore been used.

I am also aware thataseries of figures have been used on -a toy,arranged to be moved upward by springs, the construction being such thatthe iigures are released by thestriking of a ball against a knob adaptedto release them, so as to expose the figures to view. I therefore do notclaim such, broadly; but

What I do claim isor ball striking against the door, substantially Agame apparatus adapted to be held in as described. the hand while playedwith by another, hav- 1 ing a series of different-sized openings, eachFLAVIUS P S1 IKER" 5 provided with a sliding door or plate havingVitnesses:

springs for holding them up and catches for JENNIE M. CALDWELL,holding,r them down until released by a marble LUKE A. C. FISHER.

